Exide Technologies Inc.

#NoMoPlomo

Background:

Exide Technologies, Inc. (Exide) owned and operated a lead-acid battery recycling factory in Vernon, California. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) issued Exide a permit under Title V of the Clean Air Act with limits on arsenic and lead emissions into the air, but recent findings show that Exide was emitting unacceptably high levels of lead and arsenic. Arsenic is a carcinogen, and lead is a neurotoxin that is particularly potent in children potentially having negative lifetime effects on development and behavior. For more than 30 years Exide polluted the surrounding predominantly low-income Latino communities. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and Department of Toxic and Substance Control (DTSC) confirmed that the impact area spreads at least 1.25 – 1.75 miles from the site, encompassing 10,000+ residential properties and over 110,000+ residents in East LA, Boyle Heights, Commerce, Bell Gardens, Vernon, Cudahy, Maywood, Bell and Huntington Park.

After years of our members and staff engaging with AQMD to implement regulation to clean up Exide Technologies, and push DTSC to shut down Exide, as of February 2015, the Department of Justice announced the permanent shutdown of Exide Technologies. EYCEJ has been working on environmental health and justice issues in the affected locations for more than a decade and has developed an expertise in leadership development, building partnerships and effectively influencing policies for a healthy environment. Although this is a huge victory, we must work to address comprehensive and efficient cleanup of all properties and communities directly impacted by Exide. This April, after immense pressure from community leaders, Governor Jerry Brown signed a $176.6 million appropriation to fund a first wave of massive soil sampling and cleanup in the impacted communities.

State elected officials, who make up the CA Assembly Environmental Safety & Toxic Materials Committee, will host a hearing, which will consist of brief updates from DTSC about its plans for implementing the Governor’s $176.6 million appropriation to expedite lead testing and cleanup, and brief updates from LA County as well, and then prioritizing the bulk of the hearing to community perspectives and public comment.

GET THE LEAD OUT: City of Commerce & East LA Community Cleanup Community Outreach